Garment fastener



O msnm Juy i8, i967 G. ALLAN GARMENT FASTENER Filed Nov. 25, 1964 wcm-onGUST ALL AN United States Patent O 3,331,110 GARMENT FASTENER GustAllan, 3757 Eaton St., North Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada FiledNov. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 412,931 7 Claims. (Cl. 24-258) This inventionrelates to garment fasteners, particularly of the type employed onstocking Suspenders.

In the suspending of stockings, particularly silk stockings or the like,which are extremely fragile in nature and therefore are susceptible toruns, the suspending means must be such that no undue strain is placedupon that portion of the stocking to be gripped, so as not to damage itsthreads, yet the stocking must be held lirmly enough that it will notslip from the grip of the fastening means.

It is appreciated that many fasteners have heretofore been designed foruse on stocking Suspenders. However, such fasteners in the main haveusually employed devices which either greatly deform and consequentlystrain the stocking material, or which have positively interlockingparts which, when engaged, tightly grip the stocking material betweenthem. This latter type of fastener, however, tends to tear the stockingmaterial during the interlocking of the parts with a consequentformation of runs therein. It is, therefore, obvious that the meansemployed must grip the stocking in a resilient, yet firm manner with aslittle deformation as possible of the stocking material from its naturalstate of repose. Furthermore, such a fastener should be of atconstruction so as not to cause unsightly bulges in outer clothing, suchas skirts.

The present invention provides a fastener having these desired featuresand furthermore is of simple, yet rugged construction so as to beoperable by one hand alone. Its simplicity also makes it relativelyinexpensive to manufacture, this latter feature being very desirable foradoption in a highly competitive field of merchandizing.

In accordance with the foregoing, the present invention comprises anelongated body, means permanently securing one end of the body to onearticle of clothing, a resilient hook-shaped tongue at ythe other end ofthe body arranged so that its free end normally presses against thebody, an elongated resilient latch swingably secured to the body at oneend and adapted to be positioned so that its other end engages thetongue, said latch normally urging said tongue against said body.

In the drawings which illustrate the embodiments of the invention,

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of the invention,showing the fastener in an open position with its latch swung away fromthe flange,

FIGURE 2 is a section of the fastener of FIGURE l,

FIGURE 3 is another view of the fastener of FIGURE l, similar to theView of FIGURE 2, showing the latch engaged over the flange and aportion of a stocking being gripped therebetween,

FIGURE 4 is an isometric view of another embodiment of the fastener, and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the fastener of FIG- URE 4, taken alongline 5-5 thereof, showing the latters grip on a top of a stocking, thelatch being shown in a flange engaging position.

Referring to the drawings, FIGURES 1 to 3 illustrate one embodiment ofthe fastener. Fastener 10 is formed of an elongated iiat strip 11 of aspring-like or resilient metal, such as brass or spring steel and thelike, having formed in one end 12 a transverse elongated opening 13, thelatter being adapted to receive a loop element 14 of a suspender 15.

The other end 16 of said strip 11 is reduced in width to form anelongated tongue or flange 17 which is bent or looped backwardly uponitself with the tip 18 pressing against the flat or body portion 19 ofsaid strip, the strip 11 thereby assuming a generally J-shapedconliguration. It is preferred that the thickness of the strip be suchthat it is possible, by inserting the fingernail between the tip 18 ofthe tongue 17, and the body portion 19 of the fastener, to move thetongue outwardly and away from said body portion against its inherentresilient action.

The fastener 10 is also provided with a latch 21 which is formed havingan elongated flat shank 22 again formed of a springy resilient material,such as spring steel or the like, said shank having an enlarged flathead portion 23 at one end, and the other end swingably secured to thebody portion 19, substantially at a point midway between the ends of thefastener, on a rivet 27. The latch 21 ordinarily extends flat andparallel to the body portion 19 of the fastener and is so positionedthat it may be swung between a position away from the tongue 17, aposition as shown in FIGURE l, to a position in which it lies on theouter surface of the latter, a position as shown in FIGURE 3. It will beseen that in order to swing the latch from its former to its latterposition, it must be bent outwardly away from the body portion 19 of thefastener against its inherent resilient action to clear said tongue. Itwill also be observed that when the head portion 23 of the latchisreleased, it will be pressed by the resilient shank 22 against theouter surface of said tongue.

FIGURES 4 and 5 illustrate another embodiment 30 of the fastener.Fastener 30 is formed in the same manner as fastener 10 having a liatbody portion 32 with a backwardly bent tongue 33 formed on one end and atransverse opening 35 on the other. Fastener 33 is also provided with alatch 36 formed and secured exactly in `the same manner as latch 21 offastener 10.

Fastener 30 differs from fastener 10 in the provision of a semi-circularopening 38 formed in its body portion 32 adjacent the tip 40 o-f thetongue 33. The semi-circular opening is wide enough to accept the tip 40and has a straight lower edge 41 against which an end portion of saidtip normally presses, said opening also having a rounded orsemi-circular edge 42 extending above the tip to provide an opening intowhich a fingernail may be passed to grip the tip of the tongue and bendthe latter away from said edge 41 in the manner as described heretoforeand applicable to fastener 10.

In describing the operation of fasteners 10 and 30, reference only willbe made to fastener 10 as the operation of fastener 30 is identicalthereto. As has been described hereinbefore, fastener 10 is secured to astrap 14 of a suspender and usually depends therefrom to a pointslightly above the top of the stocking when the latter is positioned onthe leg. The latch 21 is moved to its position, as shown in FIGURE 1,away from the tongue 17, the tongue is then moved outwardly by means ofthe fingernail away from the ybody portion 19 of the fastener and thetop of the stocking then lapped over the tip 18 of the tongue so thatwhen the latter is released, it will press and hold the stocking againstthe body portion 19. The latch 21 is then swung outwardly and away fromthe body portion and downwardly .to cover the tongue, and then released.The resilient action of the shank 22 of the latch will maintain its headportion 23 tightly against the tongue 17 pinching the stocking betweenthem. Referring to FIGURE 3 in which the fastener 10 is shown gripping astocking, the latter being given the numeral 45, it will be seen thatsaid stocking is pinched both lbetween the tip 18 of the tongue 17 andthe body portion 19 of the fastener and also between the head portion 23of the latch and said tongue, the two point contact afforded by thefastener 10 on the stocking insuring a resilient, yet tight gripthereon.

The provision of the semi-circular opening of fastener 30 greatlyenhances the -grip of said fastener on the stocking as a part of thestocking will be pinched or caught between the edge 41 of said openingand the tip 40 of the tongue.

The grip of the fasteners 10 and 30 may be further enhanced by theprovision of rubber or plastic caps 46 and 47 on tongues 17 and 33,respectively, and the provision of similar caps 49 and 50 on the tips 18and 40 of the tongues 17 and 33. These caps may be molded in place andnot only enhance the grip as hereinbefore stated, but providesprotection to the stocking from the relatively sharp edges of thegripping component of both fasteners.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A fastener to join two articles of clothing comprising a at elongatedgenerally J-shaped plate formed of a stiffly resilient material, havingone end reversely bent upon itself to form a hook shaped tongue, saidtongue being arranged so that its free end normally presses against saidplate, an elongated resilient latch swingably secured to the plate atone end and adapted to be positioned so that its other end engages thetongue, said latch normally urging said tongue against said plate, andmeans for permanently securing the plate at its other end to an articleof clothing.

2. A fastener as claimed in claim 1 including rubberlike cap coveringsat the free end of the tongue and the tongue engaging end of the latch.

3. A fastener as claimed in claim 1 in which the plate has an openingformed therein adapted to receive the free end portion of the tongue.

4. A fastener to -join two articles of clothing comprising a flatelongated generally J-shaped plate formed of a stiifly resilientmaterial, having one end reversely bent upon itself to form a hookshaped tongue, said tongue being arranged so that its free end normallypresses against said plate, an elongated resilient latch swingablysecured to the plate for movement in a plane parallel thereto into andout of engagement with the tongue, said latch being adapted whenpositioned in engagement with the -tongue to urge the latter against theplate, and means for securing the plate at its other end to an articleof clothing.

5. A fastener as claimed in claim 4 including rubberlike cap coveringsat the free end of the tongue and the tongue engaging end of the latch.

6. A fastener as claimed in claim 4 in which the plate has an openingformed therein positioned to receive the free end portion of the tongue.

7. A fastener to join two articles of clothing comprising a flatlgenerally J-shaped plate formed of a stiiy resilient a material, havingone end reversely bent upon itself to form a hook-shaped tongue havingan outer surface, said plate having an opening formed therein into whichthe tip of the tongue is adapted to extend, an elongated resilient latchswingably secured to the plate at one end and swingable in a planeparallel to the plane of the plate into and out of engagement with theouter surface of the tongue, said latch being arranged so that itnormally tends to urge the tip of the tongue through said opening whenin engagement therewith, and means for securing the plate at its otherend -to an article of clothing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 150,116 4/1874 Weston. 222,58412/1879 Goldstein 24--258 533,458 2/ 1895 Harding 2XL-248 668,088 2/1901 Bruce.

2,223,95 7 12/ 1940 Hillier 24-258 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

DONALD G. GRIFFIN, Examiner.

1. A FASTENER TO JOIN TWO ATRICLES OF CLOTHING COMPRISING A FLATELONGATED GENERALLY J-SHAPED PLATE FORMED OF A STIFFLY RESILIENTMATERIAL, HAVING ONE END REVERSELY BENT UPON IT SELF TO FORM A HOOKSHAPED TONGUE, SAID TONGUE BEING ARRANGED SO THAT ITS FREE END NORMALLYPRESSES AGAINST SAID PLATE, AN ELONGATED RESILIENT LATCH SWINGABLYSECURED